Typewriting machine



Jan. 14, 1941. J. L. HiLLlS TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 19258 INVENT R a&%%

' A'T roRNEYs Patented Jan. 14, 1941 PATENT a OFFICE.

' 2,228,313 V TYPEWRITING MACHINE James L. Hillis, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application September 24, 1938, Serial No. 231,473 fiClaims. (01. 197-140) This invention relates to typewriting machines. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a card writing device for use in typewriting machines. An object is to provide a. card writing device which is particularly well adapted to securely hold andalign index cards at the writing line of a typewriter.

An object is to provide a card writing device which requires little attention by the operator 1 and is practically automatic in its operation.

Anobject is to provide a card writing device which does not interfere with the feeding of the cards around the platen but is automatically disengaged from the cards after the writing of lines gauge to arrest the cards in approximately the writing position and thereafter is operative when the pressure rollers are cast off, to align cards at the writing line.

Further objects of the instant invention reside in any novel feature of construction or operation or novel combination of parts present in the embodiment of the invention described and shown in the accompanying drawing whether within or without the scope of the appended claims and irrespective of other specific statements as to the scope of the invention contained herein.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the carriage and part of the cover plate for the type basket.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the cover plate and platen.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing as applied to the well known International electric writing machine, formerly known as the "Electromatic." However, this has been done solely for convenience in description and it will be understood that the invention may be applied: to any other typewriting machine equally as well. In Fig. 1, the reference numeral 3 generally designates the carriage on which the platen l is, rotatably mounted. Cooperating with the platen is the usual paper deflector 5 on which are mounted front pressure rollers 6 and rear pressure rollers 1. These pressure rollers and the paper de fiectors are controlled in the usual way by means of a release lever, not shown, which may be operated to disengage the pressure rollers 6, I from the platen against the tension of a spring, not shown, which normally urges the paper deflector and the pressure rollers into engagement with the platen. Also pivotally mounted on the carriage is the usualpaper ball 8 having bail rollers 9.

Mounted infront of the platen is the usual type basket l0 which includes the segment ll pivotally supporting the type bars I2. Also mounted on the segment is the usual type guide i3 which extends close to the printing point and servesto guide the heads of the type bars I2 to printing position. The space in which the type basket is mounted is protected by a front cover it which has a fan-shaped opening-Ha to provide clearance for the type bars in their movement to the printing point. a

"The index card writing device includes a pair of fingers 16 which are preferably formed from a sheet metalstrip and made of some material like so that the bulk of the inner or left-hand ends,

Fig. 1, are approximately normal to the platen. The extreme ends of the fingers adjacent the platen are offset vertically as shown to provide a shoulder adapted to catch the leading edge of an index card fed around the platen in the usual way. The fingers iii are spring biased downwardly so as to tend to press down upon the card Ill. The movement of the fingers downwardly is limited by means of a stop screw i9 having a thumb piece lfla integral therewith by means of, which the screw l9 may be turned. The screw I9 is threaded into a nut 20 which may be secured to the spring fingers I6 in any suitable way as by welding or brazing. The end of the screw I!) has an enlargement I91) and a pilot point lflc which extends into an oval slot 14b formed in space of the cover plate [4 adjacent the slot,

limits downward movement of the screw IB'in response to the resiliency or the fingers It. It is evident that lay-rotating the screw I! in one direction or the other, the ends of the fingers ll adjacent the platen (may be adjusted vertically.

Once adjusted, the fingers are locked by means of a thumb nut 20 threaded on the shank of the screw l9.

The operation of this device is as follows: The card is inserted behind the platen and fed forwardly to the writing line by rotating one of the platen knobs, not shown, until the leading edge of the card strikes the ends of fingers l8.

The .movement of the card is continued until the fingers ii are observed to lift slightly. Then the pressure rollers 6 and I are cast oil. thereby permitting the spring fingers I6 to push the card I! back around the platen. If it should happen, as is frequently the case in writing index cards,

that the card skews slightly in feeding forwardly, around the platen, the spring fingers l6 will tend to level the card and align it at the writing knobs and gives the platen a quick turn forwardly. This causes the leading edge of the card i8 to rise with reference to Fig. 1, thus,

again lifting the fingers Hi. (The card may buckle slightly toward the platen, or it may be stifl enough to simply raise the fingers IS an appreciable extent, until the leading edge oi the card springs past the inner ends of the fingers,

which then snap downwardly to their normal position. The inner ends of the fingers ii are bent as shown so as to insure that the card will move to the left around the fingers. The extreme ends of the fingers l6 are preferably not normal to the surface of the platen but extend.

. on a line well above the axis of the platenso that with the card in the writing position as shown in Fig. 1, the extreme ends of the fingers l6 will be substantially at right angles t the plane of the card whereby, with more than a v small amount of lifting movement of the fingers l6,=they will tend to cam the leading edge of the card to the left.

When it is not desired to use the fingers, they may be completely detached by means of a screw driver or'the screws I! may be slightly loosened and the fingers I6 swung to one side so that the ends I90 rest upon the top of the cover plate H.

The fingers l6 operate not only as a'leading edge gauge to determine the position of the first.

line of writing,.but also operate to hold the card in alignment while the first line is being typed, the leading edge of the card sliding underneath the endsof .the fingers l6 whereby skewing of the card during the typing of a line is prevented. This is of considerable importancebecause in many cases it is desired to type upon cards which are used in visible index systems and similar devices in which data is to be typed upon cards or paper strips which are very narrow and pass beyond the control of the front pressure rollers 6, or may be only slightly gripped thereby when" the card is in position for writing the first line.

In typing such very narrow cards dependence the writing line.

must be placed largely upon the friction between the platen and the card to feed the card to the writing line as it may have passed beyond the control of the front pressure rollers I. With such extremely narrow cards the paper fingers I! act as stops to align the card at the writing position. It is not necessary that the fingers IQ lift under such circumstances as, if the card is skewed when it strikes one or the other of the fingers IS, the end of the card first engaging a finger It will merely slip on the platen and 'the friction of the platen will bring the other end of the card into engagement with the remaining finger.

In some cases it may be desired merely to automatically position a work sheet or form with its leading edge a predetermined distance from In such cases, a single finger may be used since its only function will be to arrest the work sheet a little beyond the desired position and then automatically push it' back to the desired position when thepressure rollers are released. Under such circumstances the finger will act purely as a leading edge gauge for positioning the forms for the first line of'writing. In typing=upon paper strips which areso narrow as to be beyond the control of the front pressure roller 6 when in writing position, it may be sufiicient to provide a single wide finger l8. Under such circumstances, if the narrow strip is skewed slightly, a part of the'leading edge there of will engage one corner of the finger causing the narrow strip to twist about till the other corner-of the finger-engages'the leading edge of the narrow strip. This is possible because with extremely narrow strips dependence must be placed very largely upon the friction between the platen and the strip to feed the strip after it has passed beyond the front pressure rollers 6. The usual line scale in (Fig. l) is held lightly againstthe platen 4 by means of a spring not shown. In feeding extremely .narrow strips a great deal of dependence must be placed upon this line scale to feed the strips to the writing position and it frequently happens that. the strips become skewed. When a very wide finger" I6 instead of two fingers is interposed inithe path of the narrow strip, it is manifest that any skewing tendency will be corrected because the portion of the strip adjacent that part of the lead-- ing edge which strikes'the widefinger first will be permitted to slip on the platen, thus produc ing a turning component tending to twist the strip into alignment at the writing line.

While there has been shown and described 1 and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

.What is, claimed is! 1. In a typewriting machine having aplaten path of feed of a work sheetfed by the platen to thereby engage the leading edge of such work sheet, said card stop means, when the work sheet is fed beyond the writing position, moving with the work sheet away from a normal position delining the first writing position and, in consequence oi the mobility of the stop portions, tending to oppose the movement of the work sheet beyond the writing position, said work sheet stop means being operative when the pressure rollers are released to move said work sheet backwardly to align the latter in the normal or first writing position, said card stop means, in consequence of its mobility and the shape of the stop portions, being automatically dlsengageable from the leading-edge of the work sheet when the latter is fed more than a predetermined extent beyond the first writing position.

2. In combination with the carriage of a typewriting machine, a platen mounted in said carriage, pressure rollers cooperating with the platen and mounted in said carriage, a framework on which the carriage is mounted, a pair of work sheet aligning elements mounted on saidIramework and positioned to intersect the path of feed of a work sheet fed by the platen and the pressure rollers so as to be engageable with and movable by the leading edge of the work sheet, said elements being movably mounted so as to travel with the leading edge of the work sheet and to yieldingly oppose such movement, whereby, in the event the work sheet is skewed one or both of said elements will be moved an extent depending upon the amount of skewing, said elements being operative to move the sheet back to the writing position when the pressure rollers are released whereby to align the work sheet at the writing line, said elements being also operative, when the carriage is moved in writing a line, to hold the work sheet in alignment with the writing line.

.3. In combination with the platen of a typewriting machine, a pair of leading edge gauges mounted at the delivery side of the platen, one on each side of the printing point, said gauges having stop portions intersecting the path of feed of work sheet fed by the platen and normally in a position to engage the leading edge of the work sheet when it arrives at the writing position, said gauges being arranged to yield and having the card engaging portions so shaped that, with more than a predetermined amount of movement of the work sheet away from the writing position of the firstline, said gauges automatically disengage from the work sheet.

4. In a typewriting machine having a rotatable platen, pressure rollers cooperating with the platen and means to release the pressure rollers from the platen, the combination of a pair of card aligning fingers mounted in front of the platen and having their ends intersecting the path of feed of a card fed by the platen whereby to engage the leading edge of said card, said fingers being so constructed and arranged that the ends thereof are yieldingly movable by the work sheet beyond a predetermined position of said fingers which determine the writing line,

said fingers being operative when the pressure rollers are released from the platen, to move the card back to the predetermined position by spring pressure to thereby automatically align the card at the writing line; and adjustable means for predetermining the position of engagement of the card with the ends 01 said fingers.

5. In a typewriting machine having a platen and pressure rollers releasable therefrom, the combination with the platen of a pair of card aligning fingers mounted in front of the platen and having their ends extending toward the platen so as tointersect the path of feed of a card fed by the platen to thereby engage the leading edge of such card, said fingers being formed of resilient material whereby their inner ends engaging the cards will be moved by the card away from a normal position which determines the writing line on the cards, the extent to which the part of a card engaging a particular finger moves such finger being determined by the degree of skewing of the card while it is fed by the platen, said fingers, in consequence of their resiliency, being operative, when the pressure rollers are released, to reversely move the card extents depending upon the amount of skewing of the card whereby to align the card at the writing line.

6. Ina typewriting machine the combination of a support, a carriage movable relative to the support, a platen rotatably mounted on the carriage, releasable pressure rollers mounted on the carriage and cooperating with the platen to feed a work sheet to the writing line, a pair of form aligning members mounted on said support, the ends of said members opposite the support being mobile and project toward the platen to a position to intersect path of feed, and thereby to engage the leading edge of, the work sheet fed by the platen and the pressure rollers, the ends of said members being arranged to be moved by the work sheet in the direction of its feeding movement away from a normal position of said ends defining the writing point for the first line and yieldingly opposing movement of the work sheet so as to be operative, when the pressure rollers are released after an excess movement of the work sheet past the normal position to move said members away from the normal position, to move the work sheet backwardly and align the leading edges thereof with reference to the writing line, said members being so shaped that, when the work sheet is fed forwardly more than. a predetermined amount away from the normal position, the leading edge of the work sheet will be enabled to slip off the ends 01' the said members.

JAMES L. HILLIS. 

